Martlands provides a secure and fully licensed Category 1 Animal By-Product Collection service for high-risk materials across the North West. As Category 1 (Cat 1) waste represents the highest risk to public and animal health – including Specified Risk Material (SRM) and animals suspected of being infected with TSEs—our team operates under the strictest DEFRA approved biosecurity protocols. Whether you are an abattoir in Lancashire or a veterinary laboratory in Cheshire, we ensure that your hazardous animal waste is handled, transported, and disposed of in total compliance with UK legislation.
Certified High-Risk Waste Disposal in Lancashire and Cheshire
Operating as a specialist waste carrier, Martlands offers a reliable solution for the removal of Category 1 ABPs. Our Category 1 Animal By-Product Collection services are designed to protect the agricultural supply chain by ensuring that contaminated or high-risk materials are permanently removed from the food and feed chain through approved incineration or rendering processes.
What is Classified as Category 1 Animal By-Product?
Category 1 (Cat 1) is defined as the highest-risk animal waste and is subject to the strictest disposal regulations in the UK. Martlands is a specialist in Category 1 Animal By-Product Collection, providing secure routes for materials that pose a significant threat to public health or the environment, including:
- TSE & BSE Suspected Material: Carcasses and body parts of animals suspected of being infected with transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) or Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE).
- Specified Risk Material (SRM): High-risk body parts that pose a particular disease risk, such as cows’ spinal cords and brains.
- International Catering Waste: Food waste from aircraft or ships arriving from outside the UK/EU.
- Laboratory & Research Waste: Carcasses of animals used in scientific experiments or those contaminated due to illegal treatments.
- Zoo & Circus Animals: Remains of animals from zoos, circuses, or domestic pets.
- Wild Animal Risk: Carcasses of wild animals suspected of carrying diseases transmissible to humans or livestock.
Handling International Catering Waste (ICW)
Waste from aircraft or ships arriving from outside the UK/EU is classified as Category 1. We provide specialised collection for ports and transport hubs, ensuring this material is securely incinerated to prevent the introduction of exotic diseases into the UK livestock population.
Meeting Your Legal Duty of Care
Ensuring 100% Traceability
Under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) (England) Regulations 2013, any business producing Category 1 waste is legally responsible for its safe disposal until it has been completely destroyed. Martlands provides a comprehensive paper trail for every collection. This includes the mandatory Commercial Document (CD), which specifies the category of waste, the quantity, and the destination facility, ensuring you are always ready for an APHA or local authority audit.
Segregation and Storage Advice
To maintain a safe and compliant site, Category 1 waste must be kept strictly separate from other materials. We recommend using our specialized, colour-coded containers, which are clearly marked to prevent accidental cross-contamination. Our team can advise on the best on-site storage practices to minimise biosecurity risks before our scheduled collection arrives.
Strict Compliance and High-Risk Disposal Routes
Because Category 1 materials are “Specified Risk Materials,” they cannot be repurposed into fertilisers or pet food. When you partner with Martlands for your collection in Lancashire or Cheshire, we guarantee a 100% bio-secure audit trail:
- Direct Incineration: The safest method for total pathogen destruction, ensuring high-risk materials are completely neutralised.
- Rendering followed by Incineration: Processing materials at high pressure and temperature (133°C) before the resulting residue is incinerated.
- Specialised Bio-Secure Transport: Our fleet uses leak-proof, sealed containers specifically designated for Cat 1 waste to prevent any environmental leakage during transit across the North West.
Advanced Pathogen Destruction and Environmental Safety
Total Bio-Secure Disposal
Category 1 materials, particularly Specified Risk Material (SRM), require absolute destruction to prevent the persistence of pathogens like prions. Our disposal routes utilise high-temperature incineration and advanced rendering techniques that meet the 133°C, 3-bar pressure standard for 20 minutes. This ensures the total neutralisation of hazardous biological agents, providing you with the highest level of environmental security.
Contributing to a Circular Economy
Even high-risk waste can contribute to sustainability. Where legally permitted, the energy generated from the incineration of Category 1 by-products is harnessed to produce steam or electricity. This process ensures that your hazardous waste is repurposed into renewable energy, helping your business meet its sustainability targets while adhering to the strictest biosecurity measures.
Specialist Disposal of High-Risk Category 1 Animal By-Product Material
Guaranteed Biosecurity and Disease Control
Category 1 ABPs pose the highest risk to public health. Our 2026 service protocols focus on the containment of Specified Risk Material (SRM) and carcasses suspected of TSE/BSE. We operate a closed-loop system using specialised, leak-proof vehicles that never cross-contaminate with lower-risk food waste streams.
Why Choose Martlands for Category 1 Animal By-Product?
Choosing a local partner for your Category 1 Animal By-Product Collection ensures a more responsive service for time-sensitive high-risk waste. With over a century of experience in the North West agricultural sector, Martlands understands the critical importance of hygiene and the legal implications of Animal By-Products Regulations (ABPR).
Secure Handling for Abattoirs and Research Facilities
We understand the complex logistical requirements of high-volume meat processors, abattoirs, and specialised laboratories. Our team is trained in the most rigorous disinfection protocols to prevent cross-contamination during the removal and transport of hazardous animal remains.
- Leak-Proof Transport: Our fleet consists of specialised, sealed vehicles designed specifically for high-risk ABP transport.
- Approved Processing Routes: We ensure all high-risk materials are directed to authorised rendering or incineration points, supporting a zero-to-landfill strategy for even the most hazardous waste streams.
- Comprehensive Audit Support: Every collection is accompanied by detailed Waste Transfer Notes and commercial documents, providing a clear audit trail for local authority and DEFRA inspections.
- Disinfection Protocols: Every vehicle undergoes a rigorous cleaning and disinfection process between collections to prevent cross-contamination.
Specialist Collection for Technical Sectors
Support for the Meat Processing Industry
For large-scale abattoirs and cutting plants in Lancashire and Cheshire, managing Specified Risk Material (SRM) is a daily operational necessity. We offer high-capacity, reliable collection routes that sync with your production schedules, ensuring that hazardous parts like spinal columns and brains are removed from your site quickly and securely.
Veterinary and Scientific Laboratory Waste
We provide a discreet and highly professional service for veterinary practices and research institutions. Whether you are dealing with animals contaminated by illegal substances or carcasses used in research, our specialised handling protocols ensure that these high-risk materials are neutralised through total incineration.
Tailored Collection Schedules for High-Volume Producers
Reliable Logistics for Abattoirs and Ports
We understand that high-volume sites such as industrial abattoirs and international transport hubs cannot afford delays in waste removal. Martlands offers bespoke, scheduled collection contracts tailored to your specific operational volumes. Whether you require daily removals or a high-capacity “on-call” service for International Catering Waste (ICW), our fleet is managed via real-time GPS tracking to ensure punctuality and reliability.
Our North West Service Coverage
Martlands provides a rapid-response collection service across the North West England. Our strategic location in Burscough allows our fleet of specialist vehicles to reach farms quickly, ensuring biosecurity is maintained and disposal is handled legally and efficiently.
We provide comprehensive coverage across the following regions:
- Lancashire: Including Ormskirk, Burscough, Skelmersdale, Preston, Chorley, and Blackpool.
- Cheshire: Covering Northwich, Knutsford, Warrington, Chester, and the Wirral.
- South Cumbria: Serving agricultural communities in Kendal, Carnforth, Windermere, and the Furness Peninsula.
- Merseyside & Greater Manchester: Supporting rural fringes across the M6 and M62 corridors.
Rapid Response for High-Risk Events
In the event of a suspected disease outbreak or a large-scale mortality event involving suspected TSEs, time is of the essence. Martlands operates a 24-hour emergency line, providing the agricultural and industrial sectors with immediate access to bio-secure transport. Our rapid deployment fleet is equipped to handle emergency situations across the North West, helping to contain risks and protect public health.
Integrated Animal By-Product Management
While Category 1 waste requires the most stringent level of containment and destruction, Martlands provides a complete range of disposal solutions for all organic waste streams. We work with food manufacturers, independent retailers, and agricultural businesses across Lancashire and Cheshire to ensure every classification of waste is handled sustainably and in full accordance with UK Animal By-Products Regulations.
Comprehensive Food Waste and ABP Solutions
Managing multiple waste streams is made simple with our integrated collection services. We provide dedicated routes and specialised containers for lower-risk materials, ensuring your business remains compliant while reducing environmental impact through renewable energy recovery and resource reclamation.
- Food Waste Collection: Discover our scheduled commercial recycling services for supermarkets, restaurants, and food production facilities.
- Butchers Waste Collection: Specialist removal of meat trimmings, bones, and fat from retail butchers and meat processing units.
- Category 2 Animal By-Product Collection: Specialist removal and processing for medium-risk materials, including fallen stock and manure.
- Category 3 Animal By-Product Collection: Efficient disposal for low-risk animal parts and former foodstuffs fit for human consumption but no longer intended for it.
Specialist Agricultural Support and Livestock Removal
In addition to our industrial and commercial waste management, Martlands remains a dedicated partner to the North West farming community. Because Category 1 waste often involves animals suspected of carrying transmissible diseases, it is vital to have a collection partner that understands the nuances of agricultural biosecurity and statutory testing.
Emergency Farm and Fallen Stock Collection
If you have livestock that has died on-farm, particularly over-age cattle or animals requiring disease surveillance, our rapid-response team is available 24 hours a day. We operate as a DEFRA-approved sampling centre, ensuring that all carcasses are handled with the highest level of care to protect your remaining herd and maintain compliance with UK Animal By-Products Regulations.
- Farm and Fallen Stock Collection: Learn more about our 24-hour emergency removal service for cattle, sheep, and equine remains across Lancashire and Cheshire.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What are Category 1 Animal By-Products?
Category 1 (Cat 1) is the highest risk classification for animal by-products. It includes animals suspected of being infected with a TSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy), Specified Risk Material (SRM) like spinal cords and brains, and carcasses containing residues of prohibited substances or environmental contaminants.
How does Category 1 differ from Category 2 or 3?
While Category 3 is low-risk (food waste/commercial) and Category 2 is medium-risk (fallen stock), Category 1 is strictly high-risk. Due to the potential for disease transmission, Category 1 material must be handled with the most stringent biosecurity measures and destroyed via approved incineration or rendering.
What businesses require Category 1 collection services?
We primarily support abattoirs, meat processing plants, veterinary laboratories, research facilities, and ports dealing with international catering waste. Any site producing Specified Risk Material (SRM) or handling suspected diseased livestock requires a licensed Category 1 collector.
Is Martlands a licensed Category 1 waste carrier?
Yes. Martlands is a fully licensed waste carrier and operates a DEFRA-approved processing facility. We adhere to the strict requirements of the UK Animal By-Products Regulations (ABPR) to ensure your business remains legally compliant.
What biosecurity measures do you have in place?
Biosecurity is our top priority. We utilize a dedicated fleet of leak-proof, sealed vehicles designed specifically for high-risk ABP transport. Our drivers are fully trained in disease prevention, and all equipment is rigorously cleaned and disinfected between every collection to prevent cross-contamination.
Do you provide Waste Transfer Notes (WTNs) for Cat 1 waste?
Absolutely. For every Category 1 Animal By-Product Collection, we provide the necessary commercial documentation and Waste Transfer Notes. This provides a full audit trail for your environmental records and local authority inspections in Lancashire and Cheshire.
How is Category 1 waste processed?
Under UK law, Category 1 waste must be disposed of via deep burial (under specific emergency conditions), incineration, or rendered and then incinerated. Martlands ensures that your waste is transported to the correct authorised disposal point for complete pathogen destruction.
Which areas do you cover for high-risk collections?
Our specialist Cat 1 routes cover the entire North West, including Lancashire, Cheshire, South Cumbria, Merseyside, and Greater Manchester. We provide regular services to clients in Ormskirk, Preston, Warrington, Chester, and the surrounding rural areas.
Do you handle International Catering Waste (ICW)?
Yes. International catering waste from aircraft or ships arriving from outside the UK is classified as Category 1. We provide secure, compliant collection and disposal for ports and logistics hubs to prevent the introduction of exotic animal diseases.
How do I arrange a collection for suspected TSE animals?
We offer a 24-hour emergency response line for suspected disease cases or fallen stock. As a DEFRA-approved sampling centre, we can also assist with the necessary TSE brain stem sampling required for over-age cattle.
Contact Martlands Today
For immediate assistance or to schedule a regular collection, please contact our specialist agricultural team:
Phone: 01704 776977 (24-Hour Emergency Line)
Head Office: 01704 893161
Email: enquiries@martlands.co.uk
Address: Martlands Farm, Burscough, Lancashire, L40 0SD